This year the Perseids can be seen between now and Thursday, August 24.

The meteors will appear to come from the direction of the Perseus constellation in the north-eastern part of the sky, although they should be visible from any point. The event will begin Friday night and peak between Saturday night and Sunday morning. Known as the "shower radiant", this is where they are expected to burst.

Normal meteor showers aren't visible from big cities, but some of the Perseid fireballs actually burn brighter than some stars, which means they will be visible even from the downtown core as long as building aren't in the way.

Astronomy Ireland say that the best time to spot the display is between 1am and dawn on August 12.